Street League: How football can help inspire change
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“We focus on 16-25 young people who are out of work. They might be in a variety of difficult situations, youth offending, long term unemployed.”
The Street League graduates take turns to speak to the assembled crowd of proud parents, group workers and project sponsors. It is a task that would have scared them rigid just eight weeks earlier before enrolling on the course.
At 18 years of age, James is one of the youngest graduates at the ceremony in Manchester. “I was always a bit shy and nervous,” he said. “Street League taught me how to present myself, has shown me what to do. If I get an interview in the future I’m quite confident I’ll be able to get the job.”
Robert, 22, agrees: “I got into Street League through my job centre. I was just there for an every-day signing on.
“The experience has been massive. It’s helped build leadership skills and motivation, and it’s given me bigger resources to look for work.”
The graduates are now brimming with positivity and confidence, but best of all it’s not all talk. Unlike the medals and silverware that are so difficult to come by in professional football, Street League’s success rate is reassuringly commonplace – over 80% of graduates either go on to employment or further education.
“Before Street League I was unemployed,” says Abass, 21, “I was just hanging around with my friends, getting up to no good. It’s given me the confidence and the motivation to look for employment, to get my job for Nike. Where I am right now is because of them.”
After almost a year out of work, 25-year-old Thomas has also found employment: “I was successful with a job application for Fujitsu on the IT help desk.
“Street League helped me with my interview techniques and helped build leadership skills. It wasn’t just about football, it was about communication and helping each other move forward in our lives.”
So how does it work? Football is the framework around which the Street League course is built. Classroom workshops and modules concentrate on developing skills in communication, leadership and teamwork.
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